For the American Baptist Magazine.

To what extent are the duties of religion to be urged upon the unconverted? By some mistake the impression has become almost universal, that there is a class of duties, and a scope of self restriction and abstinence, which are the concern of none but professing Christians, and that the unconverted stand exonerated from all the injunctions within the limits of this peculiar responsibility. In the censures which are passed upon erroneous conduct, it is quite common to hear it said, "that such things are exceedingly reprehensible in Christians and professors of religion," whilst the significant emphasis upon the word Christian, leaves no doubt with us, that the same blemishes in the character of others would not be regarded as at all inconsistent with the decencies of a correct deportment. This is the general belief among the world, and even in the church the idea obtains to a considerable extent. In a very limited sense, it may be an allowable persuasion, and when reduced in its latitude, may be free from any hurtful tendency, but when admitted as a doctrine in the unrestrained shape which it generally assumes, it becomes a shield which repels from the unconverted the weapons of the ministerial warfare. Nor does the mischief of the doctrine stop here, for it limits the efforts which Christians should make for the conversion of men, takes from their mouths the arguments which they should use, and makes them indifferent spectators of that guilt and security, the destructive combination of which is ruining the interests of so many

thousands. Never having seen a discussion of such a doctrine, we are not prepared to enumerate the principles upon which it relies, nor to state the whole ground of its defence; but we presume it seeks support in some or in all of the following concessions : 1. Some duties in religion must necessarily precede others. 2. It would be out of course to press home the obligation of a subsequent duty until its antecedent injunction had received due compliance. 3. Many duties are dependent upon a prior grace, and can only be inculcated upon the recipients of that grace. 4. In forsaking sins, those of the greatest magnitude should first be abandoned.

1. We allow the advocates of the doctrine in question, to assert that some religious duties must necessarily precede others, and must therefore demand a prior inculcation. At the same time we cannot fix the stamp of validity upon the reasoning derived from such a concession. The argument proceeds thus: If some duties neces sarily precede others, and stand in the same relation to them as cause and effect have to each other, then the consequent duty must not be urged until its proper antecedent shall have received the obedience which it claims. The fallacy of this reasoning, as of most other kinds of unsound argument, may be seen by its application to practice. For let it be assured that belief in the revelation of God is the prior duty, and reverence for his name its proper consequent, and that a religious instructor after repeated endeavours had not succeeded i

establishing the claims of the antecedent injunction, must he forbear to enforce reverence for the divine name, until he can find that the supposed principle of causation has began to operate? Or let it be supposed that the confident belief of the being and perfections of God is the elementary link in the chain of duties, and that the succeeding link is the belief of Jesus Christ, and that repeated inculcations of the former had not produced the intended result; would there be an incongruity in pressing home the latter? This cannot be, unless it can be proved that nonconformity to an antecedent obligation annuls the title of its consequent to respect and consideration. This is a proposition of which we think the reverse may be clearly established, and therefore the proposition itself must be an absurdity. We take for illustration any series of Christian duties, and as we know of none better suited to our purpose than that with which the apostle Peter supplies us, we advert to his exhortation, "Add to your faith virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, temperance; to temperance, patience; to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kind ness, charity." The first member in this series is faith, and the last is charity; now let it be supposed that every intervening member of the series has been disregarded and neglected, would such want of compliance excuse the delinquent party from the duty of charity? And if the neglect of those members which hold a priority in the series does not abrogate the obligation to conform to those that are subsequent, a teacher of religion in addressing a congregation of unconverted persons, might make a discourse enforcing brotherly love, without violating one of the proprieties of his sacred office. By parity of reasoning he might proceed ta require from his audience

an immediate compliance with any of those commanded exercises and observances which are usually attributed to the higher accomplishments of the Christian life.

2. It does not appear that there is any thing in the due course of religious duties calculated to frustrate the purpose of the foregoing argument A principle of powerful attraction and sympathy pervades the whole system of duties. They are sufficiently distinct to admit boundaries, and yet too much blended with each other to be pressed into insulated divisions. They have been contrived with too much wisdom to require modification by the genius of man, and have been proved by too long experience to yield the salutary course of their own operation to the fancies of speculation. As duty, in the sense in question is the result of command; if we can find any command in the word of God, within the scope of which the unconverted may be brought, on this we may found a duty with which they are bound to yield an instant compli ance; and if that consent for which we have contended, exist betwixt the various duties of religion, and if the incumbency of one upon the characters referred to be admitted, all must bear in their several proportions upon the same characters.

Perhaps the duty resulting from positive institutions may require to be excepted from this view of the subject. Baptism and the Lord's Supper being external emblems and signs of an internal grace, the obligation to comply with these must be influenced in its direct bearing by previous exercises and circumstances. Upon the principle established above, even these sublime and distinguishing subjects of duty, though not to be administered to the unconverted, may be required at their hands, inasmuch as the want of qualification to perform good acts on the part of such, does not liberate their conscience

from the pressure of the command. Nor let it be imagined that the teacher of religion acts an inconsistent part, in requiring the observance of an institution, and in refusing at the same time the exhibition of its means, for in fact he does not withhold the means of a ready obedience. Take an illustration. An unconverted man applies to him for baptism, and the minister of the gospel refers him to Christ, to repentance, to faith, to regeneration, and works meet for repentance as prerequisites to his baptism, he cannot be said to have put a negative upon the application, but to have given it a consistent direction.

3. It is conceded that the actual performance of many duties depends upon a prior grace, and can be successfully inculcated only upon the recipients of that grace. We shall encounter no embarrassment, however, from this concession, if we are able to discover that nearly all the requirements of God's word are matters of duty and of grace at the same time. The command of God makes faith the duty of all who hear the word; and yet the Apos tle distinctly affirms, "Unto you it is given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on his name, but also to suffer for him." Faith and patience are both here represented as graces, and it would be a needless waste of time to adduce passages to show that each of these is repeatedly commanded as a duty. Repentance was commanded as one of the primary doctrines of our Lord's pre cursor, and in a variety of forms was enjoined by our Saviour himself and his Apostles, yet it is unequivocally declared in the lively oracles, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." The same might be demonstrated either by direct proof or clear inference, of many other graces of the divine Spirit. The attainment of heaven, that stu

pendous gratuity which can only be measured by the boundless duration of eternity, is to be the object of our persevering labours and solici tudes. Labour not for the meat that perishes, but for that which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you." If we be required to explain the mystery of employing active exer tions for the attainment of that good which after all, must come from the bounty of Heaven, we must have the candour to acknowledge our incapacity to afford any satisfactory solution for this difficulty. Attempts have been made to elucidate the case, and to reconcile the apparent opposition betwixt the ideas of duty and grace, but the subject remains in the same state of unexplored sublimity, and there must continue, not for the excitement of busy curiosity, but to challenge our faith, and to command our reverence. Science

and philosophy have their ultimate laws, beyond which definition fails, and reason casts a gloom: and why should not religion also have its ultimate laws, upon which faith may rest with a confidence which shall not fluctuate, and where hope may wait with falcon eye to seize the dawnings of immortality.

4. In addressing the unconverted, not only are duties to be urged without any limitation, but sins and transgressions must be exhibited, and their immediate renunciation required. It would seem conformable with good order, that sins of greater magnitude, should first be given up, by those who would "break off by righteousness" an evil course; and so it might seem ridiculous for a diseased man to be treating with great care a cutaneous eruption, whilst a deadly malady lies neglected upon some vital part; but let it be remembered, that the same principle which prompts the denial of small sins, will lead to the abhorrence of those which have a more malignant character. For illustration, we observe that the

whole class of fashionable amuse. ments is usually defended upon the plea of comparative inoffensiveness. An unconverted man thinks that a ball, or a theatre, or a little gaming, or any other of the common amusements, will not make him any worse than he already is, and he therefore may attend such scenes without dan ger, whilst a Christian who should be the frequenter of such places, would contract a dismal stain. But if the same obligations to duty, and to abstinence lie upon both, then it is no more excusable in one than in the other. On the one it may draw a larger opprobriousness of scandal in the view of the world than in the other, and may involve the sin of striking the conscience with deeper lacerations, but to the eye of impartial Deity the cases are essentially the same.

Θεόφιλος.

For the American Bap. Mag.

ON SINGING IN PUBLIC WORSHIP.

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing, and making melody in your heart to the Lord......Paul.

THAT public praise in the use of poetical compositions forms a useful part of the worship of Almighty God in the church, is evident from several parts of the holy scriptures. The sweet singer of Israel was pre-eminent in this sort of worship. That it might be raised to the highest pitch of excellence, he, with other devout persons of his day, wrote some of the finest pieces of poetry with which the church has been blessed. And that melody and harmony might have their best effects, he committed his pious effusions to select composers, who set them to musick for the tabernacle service. When publickly perform ed, they were accompanied with full bands of instruments. David was an ardent lover of sacred musick, and spent so much of his time

in it, as to be able to join in its public performance, as well as to enjoy its pleasures in private devotion with his harp.

The propriety of employing instruments in sacred worship is questioned by some persons. It is admitted that we have no examples of their use recorded in the NewTestament. But as they are not forbidden, and as no particular manner or forms of this part of divine service are prescribed, we may consider their use as lawful: nor can it be questioned that if they be well chosen and not too many, that they are beneficial in preserving chords and time, and in increasing the power and beauty of the service. Some instruments are more adapted to martial than to sacred musick Such ought to be excluded from the sanctuary, and others chosen, which are fitted to the service of the church. Some persons object to select choirs of singers, and wish to retain the old practice of lining out the hymn to be sung. Of the latter, we see no need, as in our congregations it is a rare thing to see a person without a copy of the Psalms ard Hymns generally used. It is much practised in England, and in some of our southern States, but we think it breaks the sense and conexion of the hymn while singing. To select choirs we have sometimes felt objections arising generally from the character of the leader of the choir. In some instances, very immoral persons have been employed, which we conceived was entirely wrong. Another objection we have felt, is, that singing in public worship has been made We have a mercenary business. known as much to be paid a chorister for his services, as some pastors of churches receive for their constant labours. Must it not pain the hearts of pious Christians to see those employed for this serIvice who are hostile to the doctrines which they hear preached,